Mysore: Sexual Harassment Charge - Professor Transferred, Victim Unhappy
Daijiworld Media Network – Mysore (SP)
Mysore, Jan 25: Prof Shivabasavaiah, professor in the department of zoology in Mysore University, who was facing charges of sexually harassing his PhD student Sarita, has been found guilty and punished with a cut of nine increments.
Simultaneously, he has also been transferred and posted as the coordinator of postgraduate centre of the university in Chamarajanagar.
Vice-chancellor of the university, Prof V G Talwar, told press persons on Tuesday January 24, that a decision in this connection was taken at the meeting of the university’s syndicate held on January 21, based on the report of the university’s committee on complaints of atrocities on women, and directions of the government.
He said the decision was taken after examining all the aspects, and also taking view of the fact that Shivabasavaiah, who was appointed as professor directly in 2003, can be reverted to lower pay scale, adding that this is the maximum punishment one can get for such offences. He also revealed that the meeting took the decision after discussing all the pros and cons relating to the issue threadbare for about four hours.
He said that the professor has been transferred outside the city, to ensure that Sarita, who suffered at the professor’s hands, and who is presently in the campus of this university, does not get affected by this decision. “We have conveyed this to the government, and orders have been delivered to Shivabasavaiah,” he added.
Even as the vice chancellor was addressing the media persons, husband of Sarita, Dr Vijay, barged into the venue, and blamed the vice chancellor of failing to provide justice to his wife. Accusing Prof Talwar of being partial, he questioned whether he would have done the same thing if his own family members had faced this ordeal. Disturbed at this sudden development, Prof Talwar received a memorandum handed over by Dr Vijay, and left the venue. This behaviour of Dr Vijay came in for sharp criticism from the professors and university employees, who were present at the press conference.
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